Combinatorial games

Combinatorial games are strategic puzzles where two players take turns making moves from a predefined set of options. The game has a clear start and end, with no randomness or hidden information—everything is known to both players. The goal is often to be the one to make the final winning move. Examples include chess and Go, where planning and foresight are key. Mathematicians study these games to understand optimal strategies and the underlying structures, often revealing surprising insights about decision-making, problem-solving, and the nature of competitive logic.